Dice game



Dec. l2, 1939. A. J. slMoNsoN DICE GAME Filed Nov. 12, 1938 .f @A T. um W E .T E .n E mm u im H J Eig ` "IIIIIIIII'IIIIIIIIIIII/l Y.

Patented Dec. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE one-fourth to yDouglas Anton,

Wis.

Milwaukee,

Application November y12, 193s, seria1N0.24o,o7s

5 Claims.

This invention pertains to improvements in games, and more particularly to a dice game, in which the dice are mechanically tumbled, thus preventing fraudulent manipulation of the same.

The invention has primarily for its object the provision of a device including, a vertically movable cage for each individual die, the cages being manually depressible for engagement with a manually operable latch, which upon release allows rapid return of the depressed cages to their raised positions by resilient means, and impact with a stop to cause tumbling of the dice.

Incidental to the foregoing a more specific object of the invention resides in the provision of a plurality of cages, any one or more of which may be selectively operated without affecting the remaining cages and the position of the dice contained therein, thus providing for the exercise of skill in the selection of combinations to be attempted in a predetermined number of plays.

With the above and other objects in View, which willappear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, Isubstantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawing is illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of the present invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying one simple form'of the present invention, parts being broken away and in section to more clearly illustrate structural details.

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line t-d of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, thenumeral l designates a base supported upon non-metallic 'buttons 2, and having mounted thereon, a closed housing 3 containing a latching mechanism L to be hereinafter described in detail.

Suitably mounted upon the top of the housing 3, adjacent its forward edge, is a case C, comprising corner and top frames 4 and 5 respectively, in which transparent panels 6 are secured to allow visibility of the cages 6 mounted within the case C. v

While the cages 6' may vary as to material and structure, to provide visibility of the dice D, contained therein, in the present showing ofI the 5 invention, the same comprise transparent domes l suitably secured upon bottom plates. Each dome l is provided with a boss 9 into which a plunger it! is threaded, the plunger extending through a longitudinal stop bar il, and the glass 10 panel 6 carried by the top frame 5. A cap l2 formed ofvrubber or other resilient material is positioned upon lthe top of the boss 9 surrounding the plunger'to cushion the cage upon its ,l turn to raised position, as hereinafter described 15 in connection with the operation of the device.

The bottom plates 3 of the cages are also provided with central depending bosses i3, in which shanks i4 are secured and extend downwardly through the top of the housing 3, and the guide 20 strap l5 secured thereto. The lower end of each shank i4 is connected to the guide strap l5 by a contractile spring i6 which normally urges the cages to raised position, in engagement with the stop bar Il.

The latching mechanism L for retaining the cages in depressed position, indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, comprises a reciprocative latch bar Il having its vends guided in brackets I3 secured to the end walls of the housing 3. As best 30 shown in Figures 2 and 3 the bar ll is provided with spaced projections i9 normally alined with the shanks I4, for latching engagement with resilient tongues 20 carried by the shanks. The latch bar l'I is normally held in latching position 35 by the contractile spring 2| connected to the bar and the bottom of the housing 3.

To impart shifting movement to the latch bar for releasing the shanks from depressed position,

a toggle 22 is pivotally connected to the latch bar 40 l1 at one end, and at its opposite end to a bracket 23 secured upon the bottom of the housing. A depressible plunger 24 projecting through the top of the housing 3 at the rear of the case C is slidably mounted within the housing 3 and provided 45 with a lateral arm 25 for engaging the toggle 22 to spread Ithe same. The toggle and plunger 24 are raised to their normal positions by a contractile spring 26 connecting the toggle at the top with the housing 3.

In the operation of the present invention, assuming that the game is to be played with 5 dice, a corresponding number of cages are provided, each containing an individual die D of either conventional or special design. Normally the cages are in raised position as shown in Figure 1, and to initiate play, all of the cages are depressed by means of the plungers I0, in which position they are latched by the bar Il. The player then actuates the latch bar through manipulation of the plunger 24 and the toggle 22, which moves the projections I9 away from the tongues 20 to release the Shanks of the cages, and through action of the springs I6 the cages are snapped to normal position with sharp impact against the stop bar Il causing the dice to be thrown upwardly against the top of the cage by momentum, which results in the tumbling action, If a desirable number is exposed on the top face of the dice in one or more cages, those cages are left in their normal position, and the remaining cages are depressed and again released in an endeavor to obtain similar numbers or a desired combination. Obviously, in the event that the game being played requires only two dice such as in crap, only two cages are operated.

From the foregoing explanation considered in connection with the accompanying drawing it is apparent that a highly novel device has been provided, which is capable of use in connection with all forms of conventional dice games and variations in play. At the same time fraudulent manipulation of the dice in the handling, throwing, and banking is eliminated.

I claim:

1. A game of the character described comprising, a case, a plurality of dice cages mounted within said case for vertical movement, resilient means for urging the cages to raised position, manually operable means carried by said cages for selective depression of the same, and a manually releasable latch common to all of said cages for holding the same in depressed position.

2. A game of the character described comprising, a case, a plurality of dice cages mounted within said case for Vertical movement, resilient means for urging the cages to raised position, manually operable means carried by said cages for selective depression of the same, a reciprocative latch bar for holding said cages in depressed position, and a manually actuated toggle for shifting said latch to release said cages.

3. A game of the character described comprising, a case, a plurality of dice cages mounted within said case for Vertical movement, a plunger secured to the upper end of each cage and projecting through said case for depressing said cages, a shank secured to the lower end of each cage, a common latch bar engaging said Shanks for holding the cages in depressed position, and resilient means for raising Said cages upon releasing said latch bar from said Shanks.

4. A game of the character described comprising, a case, a plurality of dice cages mounted Within said case for vertical movement, said cages being formed of transparent material to insure Visibility of their interiors, plungers secured to the upper ends of said cages and projected above the case for manual depression of the cages, a stop for limiting upward movement of said cages, depending Shanks carried by said cages and slidably mounted in a guide, springs connected to said Shanks for normally urging said cages to raised position, a reciprocative bar for latching said Shanks in their lowermost position, a toggle for shifting said bar to release said Shanks, and a depressible plunger for actuating said toggle.

5. A game of the character described comprising, a housing, a case, mounted upon Said housing provided with a transparent panel in at least one of its Walls, a plurality of transparent dice containers, plungers secured to the top of said containers and projecting vertically through the top of said case, cushioning Stops disposed between said containers and top of said case to limit upward movement of the containers, depending shanks carried by said containers and projecting through the top of said housing, springs connected to the Shanksy for urging said containers to raised position, a horizontal latch bar reciprocatively mounted in said housing for engagement with said Shanks to hold the same in their lowermost position, a toggle connection between said housing and said latch bar, and a plunger slidably mounted in said housing and projecting through the top thereof for engagement with said toggle to actuate the same upon depression of said plunger for releasing said Shanks.

ALFRED J. SIMONSON. 

